The present invention relates generally to exercise equipment and more particularly to an exercise equipment which utilizes a user's own weight as a resistant force.
The increased public interest in fitness and health has resulted in a great variety of exercise equipment available on the market. Each type of exercise equipment has its own specific function because it is designed to train one or more parts of the user's body. Most exercise equipment provides adjustable loads, such as weights, springs, or hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders to provide a force for the user to work against. Most prior art exercise devices are also large and bulky and require a significant amount of floor space. Moreover, prior art equipment is typically manufactured with numerous moving parts formed of tubular steel or the like and much of the equipment is designed for use in commercial fitness centers. To meet a demand for more convenient exercise equipment, manufacturer's have designed smaller units for residential use. These prior art devices are more convenient than the larger commercial devices but are frequently unattractive and too large to be placed in living areas of a home.
An object of the present invention is to provide a foldable exercise apparatus which utilizes the user's own weight as a load in training the user's muscles without any external loads being required which simplifies the structure of the exercise device. The exercise device of the present invention utilizes a frame which may be a folding A-frame which has a generally U-shaped swing portion movably attached thereto and having a seat thereon for a user. A pair of arms are attached to the U-shaped swing portion along the hinge axis so that a person can grip the handles on the arms and push and pull to move the U-shaped portion seat and user occupying the seat. A leg exerciser has a leg bar attached to the frame and positioned for the user to push the swing portion and the user to move the swing portion with his legs.
Prior art U.S. Patents for exercise devices can be seen in the Lin U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,161 for an exerciser utilizing a user's own weight as a load and has a seat, which can be raised and lowered with the arms and legs pushing and pulling on handles or foot pedals. The Curtis exercise apparatus U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,298 is an exercise apparatus formed in a chair but with an arm exercise and leg exercise station. The Moon U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,558 is an exerciser of the rower-type while the Bjornsti U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,438 is a training apparatus having a frame with wheels for supporting a user in the standing position while he moves the wheels and thus partially utilizes the user's weight for training. The Olschansky et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,917 is a displaceable seat exercise system and allows the user to exercise the arms and legs. The legs are exercised by rotary displacement of a seat relative to a foot support so that a resistive force is formed by a combination of the user's own body weight and a resistance element. The Chen U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,836 is an exerciser for pulling and stepping exercises and has provisions for moving the seat up and down. The Smith U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,517 and the Hayes U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,271 and the White U.S. Pat. No. 281,216 each show swing type exercisers.
In contrast to these devices, the present exercise apparatus may be foldable from a simple A-frame structure and utilizes the user's own weight as the resistive force for the user to exercise his arms and legs and simplifies the operation and size of the exercise equipment.